The Finnish center was the surprise choice in the top 10, going second overall to the Florida Panthers. He’s a three-zone player with size and skill, although one coming off of shoulder surgery. The Panthers coveted center Nathan MacKinnon; the stayed in the middle in selecting Barkov.

Good for the kid, but it's a shame to see him leave my team since he was a massive part of the reason why they got to the finals this past season.

He's never going to be a superstar in the NHL, but he's going to be a dependable 2nd line center with great puck awareness in both ends of the rink. Kind of like what Mikko Koivu brings to the table, but with less physicality (not that he can't be physical, it just hasn't been a big part of his game) and better playmaking skills, IMO.

I would've liked to see him go to a Western Conference team, but Florida is still better for him than for example Montreal or Toronto, at least the media won't probably fixate on him and will let him develop in relative peace.